My Husband Wants Me to Get Rid of My Cat!

My husband and I had a huge fight this morning. He hates my cat and wants me to get rid of him. My cat is almost 8 years old, incredibly grumpy and fat. He hisses at vistors and our dog and throws up after he eats cause he eats too fast. I’m pretty much the only one he loves. And I love him alot. I’ve had him his whole life, so almost 8 years. I also love my husband a lot (obviously) and I have known him for 4 years. So when my husband met me he knew about my grumpy cat. And now he’s sick of him and wants him gone. I don’t want to get rid of my cat. I’m quite certain he wouldn’t be able to be re-homed and would be put down. I can’t give up my cat to be put down. Just thinking about it makes me cry. I don’t know what to do at all. If he makes me get rid of my cat I will resent him for so long. Ugh. I know it sounds so stupid but I don’t know what to do! Any suggestions??

It’s not stupid it all. If my husband tried to tell me to get rid of my dog, I would kick him out. Lol. There just wouldn’t be any question about it. I wouldn’t think twice to get rid of my pet. She’s 6 1/2 years old and has her since she was 6 weeks. He should understand that you had your car for 8 years! He can’t just make you give up your cat. My husband gets annoyed sometimes because we have to make accommodations or stops us from doing certain things because of my dog, she’s like my child, I can’t just leave her anywhere, lol but he knows how much she means to me.

List all the problems your husband has with the cat, then solve as many as you can. If the cat eats too fast and that makes him barf, usually all you have to do is elevate the food dish high enough that he’s got no choice but to eat slowly. No more barfing = problem solved. Now go through the rest of the issues and hopefully your husband will be willing to meet you halfway.

By the way, the vomiting after eating has an easy solution. Get a plain plastic toy ball and place it inside the food bowl so the cat has to eat around it. This will slow down the speed at which the cat eats and stop him vomiting. You can also buy special bowls which will solve the problem.

Your husband met you with your cat. For him to ask you to get rid of your cat is like you telling him to change his eye color as it doesn’t work for you anymore. The day he asked you to marry him, he knew about the cat yet he asked anyway. When you marry someone it is all inclusive bad habits (or pets) not just the good stuff. I suggest you get a feline behaviorist and maybe consider a cat run (enclosure) where you could keep your cat while you are not around. The funny thing is I think the problem is the solution. If your husband starts accepting your cat, the cat might like him.

When I adopted my dog, I was making a promise to care for him no matter what. A colleague who doesn’t like animals asked me at the time what I would do if I found the perfect guy who didn’t want the dog too. I said that that obviously he wouldn’t be the perfect guy for me. (And I eventually found a guy who loves the dog, even when he’s being an absolute pest.)

Short of something drastic like a pet being a physical threat to your child or the inability to care for a pet financially, there’s no reason to break the promise you make to care for a living thing. Your husband has to deal with it.

My kitten has the habit of vomiting from eating too fast so I just started scattering small amounts of food around the room so he can’t eat so fast. Problem solved. As far as the cat not liking him, has your husband played with or bonded with the cat at all? Start slow by having him feed the cat treats or something. Someone mentioned My Cat From Hell- I love that show and recommend it also if you’ve never seen it. Lots of similar situations on the show that are fixed with a few easy changes!

Unfortunately, an 8 year old cat would probably not be adopted quickly if you took him to a shelter and it would cause a ton of stress on your kitty. To me, getting rid of my cat would not even be an option. I would focus on improving your cat and husband’s relationship so they are both happier, or at least tolerable. Good luck, I hope you find a solution!

This is the same as your husband demanding that you get rid of an unruly child. You made a commitment to your cat when you adopted him. He’s a part of your family no matter how grumpy he may be.

Since the cat is causing issues, I would try to get to the bottom of the things that you can fix. Talk to your vet and see if they can identify what is causing your cat to be so ornery. He could be in pain for all you know. Maybe he needs some meds. As for throwing up, he may need a different food or smaller portion sizes. If it were me, I would do whatever I could to fix the cat but even if he was permanently an asshole, he would forever be MY asshole because I commited to be his mom for life. Sorry but your husband is a douche for even putting you in this position.